Counting Bodies
by fabulouslaughter
Summary: Sure, Reyna is safe, and Hylla is eternally grateful for that. But not everyone made it out of the fight alive. And Hylla can't even begin to comprehend the fact that Kinzie could be dead. (Some BOO spoilers)


**BOO SPOILER ALERT. If you missed it- Kinzie died. Which I was totally not okay with it. Because HyllaxKinzie is otp. So I quickly wrote a tiny oneshot trying to resolve my feelings about it.**

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><p>By the time they finally managed to chase off Orion, Hylla's legs no longer wanted to hold her up. It was only for sake of appearances that she didn't just collapse into the dirt and fall asleep. Instead, she walked over to help up a fallen hunter nearby. The girl had an arrow shaft protruding from her shoulder. The wound would be bad, but at least the girl would live. Once the hunter had unsteadily got her footing, Hylla slung the hunter's good arm around her shoulders so she could support her. The hunter's side was covered in blood, and her head was beginning to lull to one side. Hylla snapped her fingers in front of the girls face. "Come on, stay up." She said loudly, but the girl seemed to dazed to hear her. Hylla cursed under her breathe. Hylla searched the scene before her to try and find Thalia. Luckily, the chaos of the fight was beginning to wear off and off, and Thalia seemed to be properly organizing her hunters. After Hylla managed to drag the practically unconscious hunter halfway back to the house, Thalia finally caught sight of her and ran over.<p>

"I'll take care of her." Thalia said. "Thanks." She turned back towards her hunters. "Phoe-" Thalia stopped mid sentence, realizing her mistake. She quickly corrected herself, pretending it never happened. "Giana! Come help Kara." The girl who ran up was blonde and tiny, and Hylla didn't see how she would be able to move the larger girl Hylla was supporting, But Giana easily took the fallen hunter from Hylla and carried her comrade back to wear a makeshift tent had been set up.

Thalia turned back to Hylla, a solemn look on her face. "We should go back to base, and check for survivors." She hesitated. "It didn't look good, I can go alone if you-"

"Why bother?" Hylla snapped. "He already said everyone was dead."

Thalia seemed slightly taken aback. The Amazon Queen was generally level headed. Hylla quickly snapped out of it. "Sorry, I'm just…" She trailed off.

Thalia gave her a sympathetic look that kind of made Hylla want to punch her in the face. She had just led her people to their death, she certainly didn't deserve sympathy. And not just any of her people. Kinzie. She would never forgive herself if Kinzie was… No. She couldn't even entertain the possibility.

"I'll get the hunters still standing and take care of it." Thalia said. "Why don't you, uh, stay out here and take care of things." And with that Thalia was gone, efficiently ordering the hunters after her.

Alone, Hylla sank to the ground.

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><p>She wasn't quite sure how she had gotten up on the roof. Hylla vaguely remembered pulling herself out of the dirt and climbing up onto the tiles. Thalia had come out after, looked around, and called for Hylla a few times. But she hadn't bothered to look up. Hylla knew it was rude to leave Thalia worried, but she didn't wan to hear her news. Thalia was strong; she'd be fine without Hylla for now.<p>

Hylla drew her legs up to her chest and wrapped her arms around her knees. She could feel the scratchy roof tiles under her thin leggings. It all felt too familiar. She half expected Kinzie to pop up behind her and ask what she was doing. She'd be ready for her this time.

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><p><em>Hylla nearly fell off the roof. Luckily, Kinzie grabbed her from behind and helped her steady herself.<em>

_"Gods," Hylla exclaimed. "Announce yourself!"_

_Kinzie seemed a lot less fazed by Hylla's near death than Hylla was. "I did. And then you jumped five feet in the air." She grinned. "You're just upset you didn't hear me coming."_

_"I wasn't expecting anyone else to just pop up on the roof." Hylla defended._

_Kinzie's grin didn't shrink. "Scaled the side of the house and climbed across the roof and not one inkling…"_

_Hylla crossed her arms. "I told you I wasn't expecting anybody on the roof in the middle of the night."_

_"Morning." Kinzie corrected. "It's like 2 am."_

_"Regardless…"_

_"Well I certainly didn't expect to find you on a roof at 2 am." Kinzie pointed out._

_"About that, how did you wind up here?" Hylla questioned._

_"I was calling out to my alien friends." Kinzie said with a completely straight face, then burst into giggles at Hylla's resulting. "I was looking for you, idiot. So what are you doing up here?"_

_Hylla hesitated. "Thinking."_

_"Are there less dangerous places to think?" Kinzie questioned. "And more reasonable times?"_

_Hylla shrugged. 'Couldn't sleep."_

_Kinzie mimicked Hylla. "You know where I think I'll sleep better? The roof!"_

_"I sound nothing like that." Hylla responded. "And I guess it just feels familiar."_

_Kinzie scrunched her eyebrows. "Familiar?"_

_Hylla quickly cursed at her slip up. She hadn't exactly told the other Amazons she used to live here. Or everything that had happened here. "I might have been here once or twice as a kid." She tried to cover._

_"So you used to live here, huh?" Kinzie said._

_"No-" Hylla attempted, but Kinzie interrupted._

_"I figured you didn't choose a random house. Two little girl's bedrooms. The way you stare at everything with some sort of nostalgic longing."_

_"I do not!" Hylla exclaimed._

_Kinzie shrugged. "I was just waiting for you to spill."_

_"Hmph." Hylla grumbled. She wasn't willing to admit anyone could read her that well. Maybe Reyna, but no one else. Yet Kinzie could. It was slightly unsettling._

_There were a few moments of silence. "So why were you on you're roof? Sneaking out?"_

_Hylla shook her head. "Just to Reyna's room."_

_"Allergic to hallways?" Kinzie teased._

_"It's complicated." Hylla responded._

_Kinzie sighed. "Isn't everything these days."_

_There was another pause in the conversation, until Kinzie remarked. "Pretty stars." When Hylla didn't respond, she continued. "Kind of romantic, really. If I cared about boys I could definitely take a boy up here. Don't you think?"_

_Hylla wasn't paying much attention to what she was saying. "Not really. Too many memories."_

_Kinzie nodded as if she understood. "You know, sometimes memories weigh a little less if you share them." She prodded._

_Hylla shook her head. "Maybe for some people. Not me."_

_Kinzie shrugged. "Sometimes you've just got to trust people to listen." A dead serious expression crossed her face. "There are people who care about you, Hylla. And not just your sister. People who see you as more than just their queen."_

_Hylla looked at her curiously. "What do you mean?"_

_"I mean you have friends." Kinzie said, then, with a certain determination, leaned in and pecked Hylla on the lips. Before Hylla could process the kiss, Kinzie jumped to her feet, grinning. "See- romantic." And with that she was gone as quickly as she came, leaving Hylla staring after her until the sun rose._

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><p>It had only been a day, but Hylla had replayed the conversation in her head over and over. What she would have done, said. Not that it meant anything now. She could be as ready as she pleased, but no one was sneaking up on her today.<p>

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><p>It took Thalia about an hour to find her. Well, Hylla figured it probably took her less and Thalia just decided to give her some space, but whatever. The huntress poked her head out of Hylla's old bedroom window and yelled up "Get the hell down from there!" before disappearing back into the house.<p>

Hylla sighed and obliged, shimmying in through the window Thalia had left open. As expected, Thalia was waiting for her at the entrance to the tunnels. Hylla plastered on her best professional face. "What's the damage?"

Thalia grimaced. "Bad. Not many survivors aside from those we already knew about."

"Any of mine?" Hylla asked. Thalia nodded. Hylla continued. "Did you gather up the bodies?"

Thalia nodded. "I can show you."

Hylla hesitated. Seeing her body would mean accepting Kinzie was dead. Hylla knew she wouldn't believe it until she saw it for herself. She would keep coming up with miracle scenarios. And she could only delay the indivertible for so long. "Let's go."

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><p>The room Thalia left her in had been made into some eerie makeshift morgue. The lifeless bodies of the fallen hunters and amazons were laid out, each covered with a sheet or some other material lying around. The whole set up left Hylla torn between wanting to puke and run out the door. But she did neither. Instead, she lifted the corner of the sheet nearest to her. She didn't recognize the girl, so it must've been a hunter. She had a large arrow wound in her abdomen, blood covering the whole front of her short. Hylla quickly dropped the sheet. "I can't do this." She muttered to herself. Of course, emotions had never stopped her before. She waded through the bodies cautiously, taking a moment to pay respect to each, and noting with tears beginning to form in her eyes the fallen Amazons. She liked to believe there was a special spot reserved in the depths of Tartarus for Orion.<p>

She began to panic when she saw Phoebe's body. She had seen Phoebe die. Just before Kinzie had run toward Orion. She could remember that clearly. Kinzie running towards her death and Hylla grabbing Reyna and running away. Sure, protecting Reyna had been the most important thing. They had all agreed on that. But that didn't stop the guilt.

Moving from Phoebe, Hylla slowly raised the next sheet. And then quickly dropped it as if it had burned her hand. She had only caught a flash of auburn hair, but somehow, she knew. Hand shaking, she lifted the sheet again.

There she was. The same bright face that had kissed her on the roof last night, now frozen and stone cold. Hylla didn't move the sheet beyond Kinzie's face. She didn't need to see whatever wounds now mangled the Amazon's body, whatever the cause of her death was. Kinzie was right- Hylla had friends. And now her best friend was dead.

Hylla lay a hand on Kinzie's cold cheek. She felt as if she were in some twisted fairytale. Wasn't this the part where she kissed Kinzie and the girl would spring back to life? All the demigod power in the world, and nothing could fix this.

Hylla straightened the auburn locks framing Kinzie's face. It was supposed to be comforting how people looked so peaceful in depth, but Hylla found it eerie. Kinzie was supposed to be full of life and passion. Never would Hylla have thought to describe Kinzie as peaceful.

Hylla hadn't even noticed she was crying until fell onto her shirt. She quickly wiped her eyes with her sleeve, then with one last look, replaced the sheet.

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><p><em>"I mean you have friends." Kinzie said, then, with a certain determination, leaned in and pecked Hylla on the lips. Before Hylla could process the kiss, Kinzie jumped to her feet, grinning. "See- romantic."<em>

_But Hylla didn't let her go. She grabbed a hold of the girls's hand. "Kinzie." She breathed quietly. "What-"_

_Kinzie blushed. "Just proving a point."_

_With the swiftness of a trained warrior, Hylla pulled Kinzie back down into a seated position, practically in Hylla's lap. And then she kissed her like it was her last day on Earth. And it felt warm and tingly and good and perfect in a way Hylla had never experienced before._

_Kinzie stared at her, wide eyed. "What was that one?"_

_"Just proving a point." Hylla replied. "I know I have friends. And I promise I'm going to appreciate them more."_

_Kinzie smiled. "I'm glad to hear that. But are we 100% stuck on the word friends?"_

_"Not at all." And then they kissed again, and Kinzie cuddled into Hylla with her head tucked into the queen's lap. And that's how they watched the sun rise together._

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><p><em>Yes<em>, Hylla decided, as she navigated the halls to find Thalia. If she could rewrite that night, it would be exactly like that.


End file.
